Colorado River

Director Buschatzke’s Remarks at the 2019 GWC Summer Conference

Director envisions a “Great Crusade” ahead for CO River community in coming negotiations

Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke recently described the lessons that he said needed to be learned from the long, complicated Drought Contingency Plan negotiations that culminated May 20 in the DCP signing event at Hoover Dam.

In the end, it was the bipartisan sense of urgency among lawmakers – the fast-building recognition on both sides of the aisle that this legislation needed the support of Congress -- that proved most stunning to observers.

Colorado River DCP Proposals Get A Positive, Enthusiastic Reception In Congress

Support in Congress for the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plans took a big step forward on Thursday when lawmakers on a key House subcommittee expressed bipartisan – and, in many cases, enthusiastic – support for the effort to help stabilize the drought-troubled river system.

Among those expressing strong support for the DCPs was Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee.

One of the world’s great natural wonders, the Grand Canyon National Park, turns 100

2018 Year in Review: The biggest news stories of the year

As the New Year approaches, compiling a list of the top stories in the Arizona water industry is always a challenge because there’s always a lot to choose from. But 2018 truly was more eventful than other years in recent memory.

From the increased efforts of Drought Contingency Planning, to a wildfire season unlike any other, to the ongoing drought declarations within the Southwest, take a look back at some of the key moments in 2018, as they were reported by Arizona Water News.

Getting to the Finish Line: What’s next for Colorado River Drought Contingency Planning?

By Arizona Department of Water Resources and Central Arizona Project

Arizona has worked over the course of several years with the other States in the Colorado River Basin and the United States to develop an interstate Drought Contingency Plan to protect Colorado River supplies. Within Arizona, stakeholders have been working to develop an Implementation Plan, a series of agreements that will govern the way that certain terms of the DCP will be implemented within Arizona once the DCP is effective.

On-going experiment in high-volume CO River releases from Glen Canyon Dam set

How Will AZDCP Fit Into the Colorado River Basin Drought Contingency Plan?

While Arizona water managers and affected stakeholders have been meeting almost daily over the past several months to finalize the state’s Drought Contingency Plan (DCP), plans have been underway on a parallel track for several years to ensure the framework is in place for the entire Colorado River Basin DCP.

The DCP makes CO River delivery shortfalls less painful, but it doesn’t make them go away

The State’s water stakeholders have been engaged for more than two months to craft Arizona’s approach to the Lower Basin Drought Contingency Plan. This effort, led by our two agencies, is directed toward “bending the curve” to protect Lake Mead from falling to critical levels.

Not by much: Colorado River system to stay out of shortfall status through 2019

As news reports have indicated, the “August 2018 24-Month Study” of the Colorado River system, released Wednesday by the Bureau of Reclamation, tells at least two big water stories for the Southwest.

For one, it illustrates that the Lower Basin will not be in a shortage for 2019. According to the Bureau’s “most likely” scenario, Lake Mead will finish 2018 about four and a half feet above the “shortage declaration” cutoff, which is 1,075 feet in elevation.

Drought-planning briefing to highlight public input

The public briefing scheduled for Thursday, June 28 (see details below), on systemic risks facing Arizona’s Colorado River water supplies will offer the public several options to ask questions of the panelists.

By clear consensus, the most important issue currently facing the Colorado River system is the as-yet unresolved question of what the states will do to lessen the risks of draconian shortages on the Colorado River.

Departing Department vet illustrates ADWR’s role in Arizona water management

The challenge facing the Arizona Department of Water Resources right now, said Department policy adviser and legislative liaison Doug Dunham, is to balance 17 years of on-going drought in the Southwest with healthy economic growth in Arizona.

Rodney B. “Rod” Lewis, one of the nation’s great champions of tribal water rights, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 77.

Mr. Lewis leaves behind an unparalleled legacy as a legal advocate for the interests of fellow members of the Gila River Indian Community. He was a trailblazer in the realms of tribal water and energy law, gaming compacts and as a strong voice advancing the interests of Native American tribes on a host of public policy issues.

ADWR Director Buschatzke’s presentation on “The Future of Water in Arizona”

Are you water aware?

Since a 2008 gubernatorial proclamation declaring each April “Water Awareness Month,” Arizonans across the State have responded with commitments to water conservation.

Which is important, of course.

A recent Arizona Daily Star story reports that research performed by Tucson Water found that the 720 homeowners in its rebate program save an average of 748 gallons per month using cisterns and other water-harvesting apparatus.

Why an enormous, persistent arctic low-pressure system is helping dry out the American SW

It’s… the blob. It came from above. And it’s got the world in its grip.

And… it’s not going anywhere any time soon.

If that sounds like a trailer line for a low-budget sci-fi movie… well, it could be.

But it also fairly describes the powerful “Strong Hudson Bay Low” – an Arctic-spawned low-pressure system that locked in place over much of the Northern Hemisphere in mid-November. The strong, static “blocking” system is showing no sign of releasing its grip any time in the foreseeable future.

Experts weigh plusses and minuses of augmenting Arizona’s water supplies

Just as the State Legislature began preparing for the 2018 legislative session early in the New Year, Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke and other water experts began briefing lawmakers on some of the fundamental issues facing Arizona’s water supplies.

On January 4, State legislators heard from a panel of experts on desalination – potentially one of the most intriguing water-augmentation sources for Arizona – including Water Resources Director Buschatzke.

ADWR Director to U.S. Senate: Tribal water settlement is a “strategic priority” for AZ

Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke on Wednesday told a panel of U.S. senators that an agreement to settle a tribal water-rights claim in northwestern Arizona constitutes a rare resolution that creates positive outcomes for all involved.

Retiring Sen. Jeff Flake took on challenge of defending Arizona’s water supplies

One of the last pieces of legislation sponsored by Sen. Jeff Flake prior to his announcement that he will not seek re-election in 2018 was, predictably, about water.

Indeed, S. 1770 was not just about water, but about one of the knottiest, most difficult water-related issues that Congress faces – the resolution of tribal water-rights claims, in this case a claim by the Hualapai Tribe of Arizona.

Binational agreement includes joint desalination proposals

The cooperative measures on Colorado River water that the United States and Mexico agreed to in September – an agreement described, collectively, as “Minute 323” – have garnered a lot of media attention in the weeks since the documents were signed.

Water policy in Arizona: The State must speak with one voice

This commentary by Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke first appeared in a special section on water policy published on September 29th by the Arizona Capitol Times. It is re-published here with the permission of Arizona Capitol Times.

With an eye to long-term, binational cooperation and to managing a more stable Colorado River System, representatives of the United States, Mexico and the Colorado River Basin States of the U.S. on Wednesday celebrated the "entry into force" of an agreement deemed essential to the System’s future.

Feds predicting short-term improvement on the Colo River system… and longer-term challenge

Part Two of the federal government’s annual August analysis of conditions on the Colorado River system are out, and – just like Part One – the results depict a mixed bag of decreasing risk in the short-term and rapidly increasing risk in the longer-term.

The federal Bureau of Reclamation has completed its crucial August 2017 24-Month Study, which is part of a study of hydrology and projected operations of the Colorado River system. Results depict water flows slightly improved from recent years, enough to assure that Lake Mead will avoid a “shortage declaration” for 2018, at least.

“If there’s one thing Arizona is the best in the nation at – it’s water.” – Governor Doug Ducey in his State of the State Address, January 11, 2016

An official with the Arizona Department of Water Resources told attendees at an “environmental and sustainability summit” in Prescott on Thursday that talks organized this summer by Governor Doug Ducey to update and refine Arizona water laws are moving reform proposals forward.

Brenda Burman nominated to head Bureau of Reclamation

One of the nation’s most experienced officials on Western water issues has been nominated to be Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, the federal government’s lead organization in its dealings with Western water agencies.

Director Buschatzke responds to new CAWCD “Lake Mead” plan

If recent climatic experience has taught Arizonans anything, it is that the specter of drought is an ever-present proposition.

Droughts of 30- or even 50-year durations are not unknown phenomena.

So, even when Mother Nature blesses us with a wet year, like this year, water in the Southwest remains a scarce resource that must be managed cooperatively with a long-term view if we are to assure it remains available and abundant for the millions of people relying on it.

Arizona Water Resources Director says “no” to taking risks with the Colorado River

On the Opinion pages of Monday’s Arizona Republic, the director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, Tom Buschatzke, explains in detail why Arizona is not about to take risks with the state’s vital allocation of Colorado River water.

Efforts to save Lake Mead flagging thanks to cold, wet winter

The conservation group American Rivers has rated the Colorado River the most endangered river in the country for 2017, notably the portion of the river that begins at Lee Ferry below Glen Canyon Dam, northeast of the Grand Canyon.

4 Take Aways from Saturday’s revelation of “contingency plans” for Colorado River water

Arizona Department of Water Resources director Tom Buschatzke detailed in an oped in Saturday's Arizona Republic the on-going, highly sensitive efforts to strike a three-state deal to leave a portion of the states’ Colorado River allocations in Lake Mead in order to keep the lake above critical levels.

All in on protecting Lake Mead

“We are the people of the river.”

With a sweep of his hand toward vast, new wetlands blossoming at the southernmost corner of the Gila River Indian Community, Tribal Governor Stephen Lewis explained the dual purpose behind the tribe’s investment in the fast-rushing waters flowing near the site known as the Olberg Bridge.

The Riparian Repair Shop

Below is a series of photos depicting The Little Colorado River and Nutrioso Creek Riparian Enhancement Project, 2007-2012, a riverbank restoration project funded through the Arizona Water Protection Fund with the assistance of the Arizona Department of Game & Fish.

A restoration of the Little Colorado River bank and adjacent Nutrioso Creek near Springerville in eastern Arizona, the six-year project stabilized 1,832 feet of riverbank along the Little Colorado and 175 feet of riverbank along Nutrioso Creek, as well as other improvements.

As a result of a compromise agreement with Arizona U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake, the federal Interior Department has pledged that Colorado River water contributed by Arizona to the effort to stabilize Lake Mead will not be released to any other state “without the consensus of all three Lower Basin States.”

Lake Mead Water: It's not always for "fightin" over

The snarky slogan that “whiskey is for drinkin’ and water’s for fightin’” gets bandied about a lot in drought years.

Even after nearly 17 years of drought, there has not been a lot of fightin’ among the Southwestern states over the dwindling supplies of water in Lake Mead.

In fact, the level of cooperation among Arizona, Nevada and California, as well as the federal government, is a big part of why the federal Bureau of Reclamation likely will not issue a “shortfall” declaration in 2017 to protect water levels in Lake Mead.

A river runs through them

They believe the American Southwest is strangled by a drought that is never going to relent.

So, rather than operate two enormous water-retention dams holding back lakes doomed by a changing climate never again to rise beyond half-full (at best), the river’s managers should allow a liberated Colorado River to flow unimpeded into Lake Mead, and dole out water allocations from there.

Colorado River water users making progress

Over the years, the Department of Interior and the Bureau of Reclamation famously use the annual December meetings of Colorado River water-users to announce big policy changes.

That didn’t happen this time at the annual Colorado River Water Users Association meetings in Las Vegas. Despite a yeoman effort to push through an agreement on a drought contingency plan among the Lower Basin states, the many moving parts of the complex “DCP” agreement did not come together before CRWUA members parted ways.

Banking on the Future

The Arizona Water Banking Authority constitutes one of the most important of the many innovations in Arizona’s on-going efforts to manage its Colorado River water, especially through the current drought years. With four million acre-feet stored underground, it is one of the most successful innovations thus far.

Bruce Babbitt (Former Governor of Arizona)

Arizona and its Colorado River water

Historically and traditionally, Arizona has taken action to avoid water crises.

In the midst of the still raging 16-year drought, the state will be taking one more highly public action:

The Arizona Department of Water Resources, in partnership with the Central Arizona Project, is organizing a public briefing to inform water-users statewide about the complex challenges the region may face in coming years.

2016 WRCC Water Conference

Of course it’s a Southern California concept.

At the West Basin Municipal Water District of Los Angeles, tiered levels of treated recycled water are not sold merely as plain, old recycled water. Dude, that's like calling it cleaned-up sewer water… which in fact is what it is.

Rather, West Basin proudly identifies its recycled water products as "designer waters."